Preparing for the holiday season

The holiday season is the busiest moment for online sellers, as orders soar while consumers stock up on gifts. Most online businesses are preparing for the holiday season. Up to 73% of online retailers have started preparing already. However, most online business feel that they are not completely ready for the season yet.

Holiday season preparations

The least amount of preparation for the season occurred in Q2 and the beginning of Q3 (11%). Instead, most online businesses prepare for the holidays around August and September (62%). Around 27% of companies only start their preparation in October and November. E-commerce brands in the UK are most likely to start preparing early in late Q2. Meanwhile companies that wait until late Q3 and Q4 are based in France and other parts of Europe.

50% of the companies say that they have done some preparations. However, only 4% of them claim to be all set for the season. Up to 22% admit to being completely unprepared. Additionally, another 22% say that they are somewhat prepared. The level of preparation that has been completed also differs from country to country. Up to 39% that say that they are not prepared at all are based in France.

Investing in social commerce has become very important

While the timelines of their preparations differ, most online businesses use the same strategies to drive more revenue during the holiday season. These center around increasing engagement and reaching new audiences. Up to 27 % add new products to their range. Moreover, 17% focus on selling via social media and 16% update the online experience for their customers. Up to 81% of companies agree that those not investing in social commerce will be left behind during the holiday season.

Strategies to increase revenues

Furthermore, most European e-commerce business bet on free shipping (24%), discounts (22%) and special add-ons to products (19%) to reach higher conversions. Companies across Europe all want to offer the first two strategies. However, those in France and the UK will pass on unique add-ons and instead use special deals like 2-for-1 sales, which are more popular there.

Optimizing the packaging

Implementing strategies to increase conversion do not stop at the counter. E-commerce companies are also optimizing their packaging. Up to 81% of companies state that they will go all out and order Christmas-themed packaging (36%) or add special holiday details to spruce up packaging they use throughout the year, like tissue paper and thank-you cards (45%). Only 18% of businesses feel comfortable using their usual packaging.

Sustainable packaging plays another important role for e-commerce businesses in Europe. Up to 94% of them agree that they should offer sustainable packaging. This is of course a response to consumers’ increasing desire to purchase items and support brands that help them to lighten their footprint on the earth.